Plants, Trees, Fish and Wildlife

…can be viewed as functional units of the landscape, composed of biological communities interacting with the physical environment. Natural processes and interactions link these watershed components that together transport sediment, water and energy, generate new floodplains and channels, and sustain biological communities.

To a large extent, the abundance, diversity and geographic extent of wildlife within the SSRSB are dependent on the quality and quantity of riparian and wetland habitat. The populations, diversity, distribution, and health of aquatic plants, benthic invertebrates and fish are dependent on water availability, water quality of the river and its tributaries and the quality and quantity of riparian habitat. The wetland and channel habitat created by the irrigation canals and drainage systems are also included, as they too provide important habitat within the basin.

The Alberta Conservation Information Management System is one of over 80 centres in an international Natural Heritage Network established in 1996. The centre provides accurate and accessible biodiversity information necessary for making informed decisions concerning conservation, natural resource management, and development planning. The ACIMS collects, continually updates, analyzes and disseminates information about the location, condition, status, and trends of selected elements, including species and plant communities.
Read more… about some of the species assessed by Alberta’s Endangered Species Conservation Committee.

Read more… about some of the species assessed as at risk by the Government of Canada.